Inova Semiconductors and StarIC Announce Initial Silicon Validation, Accelerating APXpress Ecosystem for Physical AI

MUNICH, GERMANY and TORONTO, CANADA – June 15, 2026 – Inova Semiconductors, creators of the APXpress high-speed communication technology, and StarIC, a leader in high-speed connectivity solutions, today announced initial silicon validation and early lab verification of a jointly developed high-speed interconnect solution. This achievement marks an important step in the advancement of the APXpress ecosystem and the broader industry shift toward deterministic, high-speed connectivity.

As AI moves from the cloud into machines that interact with the physical world, connectivity becomes a central system challenge. Physical AI, robotics, industrial automation, and advanced automotive zonal architectures all depend on high-bandwidth links that can move sensor, control, and compute data with low latency and time synchronization. Implemented on GlobalFoundries' 22FDX® platform, a process technology optimized for automotive-grade quality and a resilient supply chain, the APXpress backbone is designed to meet these requirements. This successful silicon bring-up represents an important step toward production readiness and validates the strength of the APXpress ecosystem approach. Development is progressing well, with a clear path toward production readiness over the coming months.

"APXpress is the next phase of Inova's proven leadership in high-speed connectivity, engineered to provide the scalable, high-bandwidth, low-latency, and deterministic performance that next-generation intelligent systems require," said Roland Neumann, GM/CTO of Inova Semiconductors. "The initial bring-up of this silicon, achieved through our collaboration with StarIC, marks a significant step forward. It validates our complementary engineering approach and reinforces the momentum of our path to a production-ready solution."

"Interconnect is a core platform technology for intelligent systems," said Imran Ahmed, CEO of StarIC. "This early silicon milestone with Inova is a powerful validation of StarIC's ability to solve difficult high-speed design problems and contribute to platforms that demand world-class SerDes and analog/mixed-signal expertise. We see APXpress as a vital ecosystem, and we are excited to contribute to its advancement as we build the 'Interconnects for Intelligence' for the next era of computing."

This milestone delivers a validated, state-of-the-art interconnect platform for the era of distributed intelligence. The APXpress architecture delivers a secure, deterministic, and scalable path for connecting everything from edge sensors to central AI compute.

Explore StarIC IP:

• APX PHY for Physical AI
• 64 Gbps PAM4 Transimpedance Amplifier
• MRM Control Loop PHY
• Die-to-Die / Short-Reach SerDes

About Inova Semiconductors:

Inova Semiconductors GmbH is a fabless semiconductor company based in Munich. Founded in 1999, the company develops high-speed serial data communication for the automotive sector (APIX®/APXpress). Inova is also known for its smart LED technology (ISELED®) and network connection technology for smart LEDs and sensors (ILAS®). Under the name APXpress, the company has developed a novel high-speed data backbone for zonal architectures and software-defined vehicles. It supports up to 500 independent data channels at speeds of up to 32 Gbps with minimal latency.

Inova Semiconductors' products are manufactured by leading semiconductor manufacturers such as GlobalFoundries. For more information, visit inova-semiconductors.de

About StarIC:

StarIC is a leading provider of custom analog/mixed-signal and silicon photonic solutions, with a global footprint that includes headquarters in Toronto, Canada, and offices in Utrecht, Netherlands. The company leverages its custom silicon and IP expertise to develop high-speed interconnects, from electro-optical transceivers to advanced SerDes that form the backbone of intelligent systems. With a focus on pushing the boundaries of connectivity for data center, high-performance computing, and physical AI applications, StarIC is engineering the 'Interconnects for Intelligence'. For more information visit www.staric.ca